The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-19
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAL. FRIDAY, AUGUST 10. 1887.
CalTSWORTH HORROR.
TIMOTHY COUGHLIN GUILTY OF
CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.
lie Failed TO Obey Positive Orders
TO Put Ont the Fires Along
the Track.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, August 18.-A special
to the News from Chstsworth, Ill. says:
The coroner's jury agreed on verdict
this morning, which holds Timothy
Coughlin, foreman OF section 7, to the
grand jury, and negatively exonerates
the company. The management is
not censured for running q double
header, for q lax system Of track or for
anything else. The verdict simply
says that the failure to patrol the track
for ak hours before the train came
and the habit Of burning grass
close to the track are subj cts for
criticism. The three or four friends
Of the road on the jury had better
staying qualities than the two or three
OF those who wanted to fix q portion
OF the blame on the management.
Coughin, the section foreman, wa,
promptly arrested, AID will be taken
10 Pontiac, the county seat OF Liv.
ingeton county, at once. He says he
cannot give bail and will have to 20
TO jail. He insists that the verdict is
unjust; that he won't over his entire
section ss ordered, and that no fires
were built as near the bridge as Hea d
and Taggert testified. The Jury made
out separate verdicts for Zach OF the
victims. Mrs. DR.. Dackett Ia the FIST
name on the LIST. The following Is
the verdict Of the Jury on her death:
Estate Of Illinois, Livingston county, 90;
"In the matter OF the inc oi ition on
the body Of MIS-. Dr.. Duckett, Of For.
est, ILL.,, deceased, held at Chats worth,
on the 18th day Of August, A. ID. 1887,
We the undersigned Jurors, sworn to
inquire into the cause OF the death OF
Mrs. DR.. Duckett, late OF Forest, ILL.,,
on oath do find that she came TO her
death by injuries received In ths
wrecking Of the Niagara Falls excur.
sion train on the Toledo, Peoria and
Western ailway, on which she was q
passenger, ct q bridge two and q half
miles east OF Ohatswortb, about IL
o'clock. midnight. Wednesday, August
10, 1857.
ave find that the wrecking Of the
said train, which totally demolished
eight coaches, one baggage car and
one engine, and either killed or
wounded most OF the occupants OF said
coaches, Was caused by said bridge
having been burned out before the
train struck II.
1--WE think from the evidences that
the bridge was fred from fires left
burning, which had been set as late as
8 O'Clock that afternoon by the section
men a. close % sixteen feet on both
the east and west sides Of the bridge.
We further find that the foreman OF
section 2, Timothy Coughlin, DISC
beyed positive orders from his supe-
rior 10 examine the track and bridges
on his section the last thing on
Wednesday, and We find that be did
not 20 over the west two and one half
miles ct ell on Wednesday, and that
the taid foreman (Ooughlip) was
guilty OF gross aud criminal careless
ness In Leaving fires burning along tho
track In such a dry section and with
such q strong wind blowipg
ave recommend that he be held
examination by the grand jury; and
further, u 10 the opinion Of the iury
that the leaving Of the track without
being p,trolled for six hours before
the passsge Of the excursion, and the
setting Of fires by the section men on
suck q dry aud windy day a. the 10th
Of August, 1887, were scts which de-
serve revere criticism"
Another victim Of the Chatsworth
wreck died this mornine at Fairbury.
His name was Elton Waters, OF Dat
tsraugus, N. Y. Until within q few
days Of the accident he was employed
In q watch factory at Peoria This
makes the total number Of verified
deaths seveniy-nire.